Lovers
by Brinchen86
Summary: Danny and Lindsay are finally together. But will they be able to keep their relationship a secret? And how will they handle being a couple? - Sequel to 'Roommates'
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**** Danny and Lindsay are finally together. But will they be able to keep their relationship a secret? And how will they handle being a couple?**

**Summary of Roommates:**** Danny and Lindsay are best friends. And so it's not difficult for her to say 'yes' when he asks her to move in with him. But during their time as roommates, Danny quickly learns that what he is feeling for his 'best friend' is much more than just friendship. Because of the fear that he could ruin their friendship, he tries to hide these feelings in front of her, which is not easy, because he comes from one embarrassing moment into another. But after a while it's obvious that Lindsay is feeling the same, and after a special event, they finally share their first kiss. But Lindsay still is afraid to give them a try, and so Danny promises her to give her the time she needs. One night, after a date, she finally is ready, and after sharing their first night together, they get together, but decide to keep their relationship as a secret.**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the characters. I don't own CSI:NY.**

**Pairing:**** DL**

**Categories:**** Romance/Humor**

**Rating:**** T  
**

It was the warmth of the sun streams that woke her up early in the morning. Lindsay's eyes remained closed for another minute before she slowly opened them. She blinked a few times before she could open them completely. A smile lit her face while her eyes wandered through the bedroom, coloured in a beautiful golden tone by the early morning sun.

It was summer, one of Lindsay's favourite seasons, and it was comfortably warm in the room. Which wasn't only caused by the weather, that was for sure. Her eyes wandered through the room that hadn't been her bedroom before but had become it now. Her eyes stopped on the man lying next to her. He was spread over three quarters of the bed, sleeping deeply.

_He looks like a baby when he's asleep,_ she thought. For a brief moment she thought about waking him up, but the sight in front of her, a cute sight in her eyes, let her change her mind. She carefully stood up, wrapping herself into her blanket before she slowly left the room. She didn't pay any attention to the fact that the blanket was everything that was covering her naked body, but why should she care? The only one who was sharing this apartment with her already knew every inch of her.

For a short moment she thought about what she could do that early; there was still much time left until the two of them had to go to work. And so she decided to make some coffee; for her the best thing to wake up in the morning.

While the coffee machine was running, Lindsay's eyes wandered to the kitchen window. It seemed to be a beautiful and hot morning. Deep in her thoughts, she felt a warm and comfortable feeling rising inside her; a feeling that had nothing to do with the high temperature outside.

When she had moved in with Danny, her once best friend, she had never expected that some day they'd reach this point, that some day they'd have a relationship. But this was exactly what had happened. The more time they had spent together, the more she had realized that she had really strong feelings for him, stronger than she had ever expected.

But unfortunately she hadn't been able to just tell him about that. She wasn't sure if there was any chance that a guy like him, who had had several girlfriends, could be interested in her. And if he wasn't and she told him about her feelings, this could ruin everything between the two of them.

And so she had tried to push away what she had been feeling, and instead of that had started teasing him. Like in the shopping centre. Lindsay couldn't help but grin when she reminded his face when he had seen her in her lingerie. She clearly had enjoyed the affect she had had on him, and it had made her self-confidence grow. At least for a moment. But the fear that at the end he'd decide that she'd not be what he had hoped for, had still been present, and so she had never been able to make any further steps. Teasing was her way to show him that she had way more interest in him, and she still couldn't believe that this had made him realize what he was feeling for her.

The amused look on her face suddenly changed when Lindsay reminded the day when she had thought that something might have happened to him in the car accident. It had been the moment when she had decided that hiding and even denying her feelings wasn't impossible anymore. She needed him to know how much she needed him, and she had searched his nearness.

Which had ended in their first kiss. Lindsay still was impressed by the intense feelings this tiny kiss had caused inside of her, but this very enjoyable feelings instantly had been joined by another one. Fear. Fear that he was just playing with her, that in the end he wouldn't be different from all the other guys. Which wouldn't just hurt her but also would mean that she'd completely loose him.

And so she had tried to flee, tried to stop it before it could become even more intense between them. But to her surprise Danny hadn't accepted that. He hadn't accepted that she didn't want to give them a try. He had promised her to give her the time she needed until she'd be able to trust him enough to start a relationship with him. And he had kept his promise.

Now, one week later, Lindsay had a huge smile plastered on her face for almost the whole time. She was glad that after a few dates and telling herself over and over again that he was different from the others guys, she had made the next move. Since this night a week ago, they were together, and the longer she thought about that, the more Lindsay knew that her decision had been right.

While the delicious smell of fresh coffee started to spread through the kitchen, she remembered their first week together. They had decided to keep their relationship a secret, at least for a while. This hadn't been difficult until now. They had had different shifts, starting at different times, and they hadn't worked any cases together yet. But this would change soon. And there also was Flack, who knew the two so good, and who quickly could find out what was going on between the two of them.

Deep in her thoughts and intoxicated by the intense aroma of the fresh cooked coffee, Lindsay didn't notice that she wasn't alone in the kitchen anymore. She only noticed Danny when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her closer.

The moment she felt his hard body pressed against her back, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, not allowing her to move even the slightest inch, a grin lit her face. She leant back against him, for sure knowing that he could hold her weight, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Hey," she said with a low voice. "Since when do you wake up that early without me or the alarm clock waking you? I thought you weren't a morning person."

Danny chuckled lightly, pressing a gentle kiss onto her neck, making her shiver lightly.

"I was missing you, it was so cold without you in my bed," he replied seriously.

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh. "Cold? Although it's that hot outside?"

"It's nothing compared with the warmth of you next to me," he answered, smiling against her soft skin while continuing covering her with kisses. He knew which affect sentences like this had on her, and he didn't even lie. He meant every single word.

Lindsay slightly shook her head. She didn't get tired of being amused but also impressed by how easy he managed to make her feel all warm inside. He just needed one sentence, sometimes even one word or one look and she was all his. But luckily she had the same affect on him. She exactly knew how to wrap him around her finger, making him do everything for with just giving him the right smile. It was fun, and affecting each other like this had become something like a game for them. They both described it as the next level of their former teasing. And it was much more fun, that was for sure.

"Anyway," he started to speak again after a while just standing there with her. "It's very early. Why don't we get back to bed again?"

"Because I just cooked coffee," Lindsay replied, pointing at her cup. "And I don't want my coffee to get cold."

"Cold? Although it's that hot outside?" Danny repeated her former sentence, making her chuckle. "You know what? We'll go back to the bedroom now and take the coffee with us. What do you say?"

His voice was so low that she could hardly hear him, and the kisses, which were now placed on a trail down her shoulders, had a clear affect on her. But she wouldn't give in that easy.

"Oh, I'm not sure," she replied with a grin. "Actually I'm really not tired anymore. You know, I'm a morning person."

The groan she got as a response made her laugh again.

"Stop being such a tease Montana," he answered, the tone in his voice making her shudder.

"Hm, let me think about that," she said, slowly turning around in his tight embrace to met his gaze, the intensity of it making her shudder even more.

_Damn, he knows how to look at a woman to make her give him what he wants, _she thought, but actually this was exactly what she wanted, too, and so she continued, "Maybe your idea isn't that bad."

"Of course not," he answered, and before she could response more, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her back into his bedroom.

---------

A few hours later, Danny and Lindsay arrived at the lab. They were both smiling broadly, hoping that nobody would guess the reason for their more than just happy mood. When they entered the elevator, they noticed that they were the only ones; very much to their pleasure.

"Okay, what can we do until we reach our floor?" Danny asked, instantly pulling her closer the moment the elevator doors had closed again.

"If you want to get caught and have the entire building talking about us, I knew something," Lindsay replied, grabbing his wrists before he could start what he was thinking about. "But as nice as this would be, I don't want us to be the centre of the lab's rumour."

Danny groaned playfully. "Okay, you're the boss. But could you anyway do me a favour?"

"Depends. What do you want me to do?"

"Can you at least give me a kiss?"

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh. This question, combined with the look Danny gave her- was there any chance to say no? And so she just nodded and gave him a deep kiss, before they reached their floor and the elevator doors opened. The moment they stepped out of it, they changed their roles from being lovers into being just friends and co-workers, letting nobody know what was really going on in their minds. It wasn't easy to hide a relationship for a couple that was as much in love as they were, but they couldn't deny that this cat-and-mouse-game also was a lot of fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing and adding the story to your favourites and alerts! I'm glad you like the sequel.**

Although Danny and Lindsay were working the same shift, they had different cases again, which meant that they didn't see each other that often.

It was far after midday when Lindsay finally managed to get a small break. But before she headed to the break room to have lunch, she went into the locker room. It was incredibly hot, and she needed a new shirt.

She let out a relieved sigh when she removed her shirt, feeling the cool air of the locker room on her heated skin. She stood in front of her locker for a moment, enjoying the cooling affect, her eyes closed. She only opened them again when she had the feeling that she wasn't alone anymore.

Her eyes wandered over to where the row of lockers ended, just to see her boyfriend leaning against the last one, watching her with a grin. She could feel her cheeks reddening; she didn't know why this still happened sometimes, although she even wasn't naked.

_But is it a surprise when he looks at you as if he wants to rib your clothes off the next moment? _she thought and a light grin lit her face as well.

"You like what you see?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows lightly before she turned her attention back to her locker.

"Do you really have to ask?" he asked back, slowly approaching her. He stopped close to her, his body only inches apart from hers. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Lindsay replied, her eyes still focused on the content of her locker, not daring to look into his eyes. She knew she wouldn't stand the gaze he was giving her right now, which definitely could get dangerous. And she still wasn't interested in being caught.

But Lindsay also knew that her behaviour just provoked him even more. She was playing the unreachable, and she knew that this had the opposite effect from what she actually wanted. The prove that she was right followed in the next moment, when he got closer to her again, so close that she thought that she was feeling him without him even touching her.

"You remember how you didn't want me in the elevator?" he whispered into her ear, his breath tickling on her skin.

"I didn't say I didn't want you," she replied, cursing herself for the light shaking in her voice. Why did he always know how to make her feel like this?

"That's even better," he answered and she felt the light touch of his right hand on her right hip.

Lindsay couldn't help but shiver by this touch, hating that again she showed him how successful his game was. His body neared hers again, his hand on her hip pulling her closer at the same time until she was resting against him with her back. His left hand went up to rest on her other hip, keeping her in front of him when he placed the first feather light kiss on her neck. Lindsay's head rolled back against his shoulder while his hands moved away from her hips and to the front of her body.

"We can't do that…here…at work," she managed to say. Why the hell couldn't they be at home right now? There was so much she wanted to do with him. But she couldn't. Not here. Not in the locker room of the New York Crime Lab.

Danny chuckled lightly, the vibrations of that on her almost burning skin making her shudder.

"Well, actually I'm doing nothing. Just kissing you," he replied quietly. And before she could even think about reacting, he turned her around with one quick motion. The moment their gazes met, leaving no doubt that they both were longing for the same, he made a step in her direction, pressing her gently against the locker next to hers. "And I won't say kissing is forbidden here, as long as nobody is seeing us."

And before Lindsay could contradict he pressed his lips on hers. With her back against the cold material of the locker and the burning lips of her boyfriend on hers, joined by his hands moving up her sides, Lindsay didn't have any other chance than just kissing him back. She had tried hard to keep control, but he had won, definitely. And actually she couldn't complain, first because she loved doing exactly the same, seducing him whenever she could, and second because she loved what his kisses were doing to her.

And so she just allowed him kissing her for several minutes but what seemed to be hours for her. But as much as she enjoyed every second of them being together like this, Lindsay knew that they had to stop if she didn't want them to end up with doing much more than kissing and if she still wanted to have enough time to finally have lunch.

And so she managed to get apart from her boyfriend, giving him an excusing smile.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, placing a gentle kiss on one of his cheeks. "I promise we'll go on with that the moment we're at home again."

"Is that a promise?" Danny asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Definitely."

"Okay, I think I can accept that."

Lindsay nodded, relieved that he had accepted their stop without trying to contradict. She quickly put on a new shirt and the two of them headed back to the door. But the moment they went around the row of lockers, they both stopped in their tracks.

"Hey," Hawkes, who was sitting on the bench in front of his own locker, greeted them, smiling.

Danny and Lindsay shared a short glance, both thinking the same. Was there any chance he hadn't noticed what had been going on at the other side of the lockers just a minute before?

"How long are you sitting here?" Danny asked, hoping that he sounded as calm as possible.

"Is there any reason why this is important?" Hawkes asked back.

While watching her friend, Lindsay could feel how she shuddered lightly. They hadn't heard him coming in. And if he hadn't come in only a minute ago, it was for sure that he had heard them. Does this mean their secret had been uncovered after only one week?

"Don't worry," Hawkes then continued. "I want to be honest, I'm here for around five minutes now, but I promise I won't tell anyone about the two of you."

Danny and Lindsay shared another short glance, before Danny asked, "So you'll keep it as a secret for us?"

"Keep what as a secret?" Hawkes asked back.

"Thank you," the two answered, both in the same moment. With that, they finally headed to the door.

On their way to the break room, the two were silent for a while.

"You think he won't tell anyone?" Lindsay asked when they entered the break room, glad that they were alone again.

"This is Hawkes, he won't tell anything," Danny answered while grabbing something eatable from the fridge and sitting down at one of the tables. "But maybe you're right. We should be more careful if we don't want the whole lab to know about us in no time."

Lindsay just nodded, joining Danny at the table. For the first moment when she had noticed that Hawkes knew about them, she had been shocked a bit. But now, after knowing that he would keep their secret and after thinking about it for a second time, she had to admit that actually she didn't want to be more careful. Because the risk to be caught gave the whole thing a special tension which she definitely enjoyed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!!!!!!!!**

After Hawkes had found out that Danny and Lindsay were together, the couple noticed that he indeed kept his promise. He didn't say a word to any of the others, he even didn't mention his knowledge in front of them; much to their relief.

Another week passed, and the two of them successfully managed to keep their secret, although they shared several minutes in the loneliness of the locker room, hoping that nobody would catch them but also enjoying the risk of that.

One evening, Danny had just finished his shift. He was looking forward to going home and to spend some relaxing hours together with his girlfriend. Her shift had ended a few hours earlier and he couldn't deny that he had missed her and had longed for going home to her.

But when he left his office to head to the elevators, he noticed Flack, Hawkes and Adam, talking not far away from him. The moment they noticed him as well, Flack waved at his friend, telling him to come over to them. Actually this was not what Danny wanted to do at this moment; he wanted to go home as quick as possible, without any interruptions. But it wouldn't be nice of him to just go and so he headed over to the three men.

"Hey," Flack greeted him. "Where are you going to?"

"What about going home?" Danny asked back, fighting against a rising yawn. "Why?"

"Oh, we just remembered something," Flack answered. "Do you know when the four of us met for the last time? It's long time ago. We definitely should do that again. We could play Poker. And don't forget, it's your turn to invite us."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Danny replied, already half way turning to leave, when he saw the awaiting looks the three were giving him. "You mean today?"

"Why not?" Flack asked back, grinning. "I mean, how often does it happen that our shifts end at the same time?"

Danny had to admit that Flack was right with that. Because of work they didn't have much opportunities to meet. This evening would be just perfect. If he hadn't had other plans yet.

"Well, that sounds nice," Danny started. "But…it was a hard day. And Lindsay is at home, too."

"That's no problem, she can join us," Adam suggested. "If I remember correctly, she told me once that she's good with Poker."

"Come on, Danny," Flack tried to convince his friend. "If you're honest, you want it, too."

Danny couldn't help but laugh when he saw the looks the three were giving him. But actually they were right. He had missed the evenings with them. And now, when they finally had time for that, he shouldn't say no.

"Okay," Danny then agreed, amused laughing when he noticed the smiles that lit his three friends' faces. He was pretty sure that this'd be a nice evening. Although the fact that Lindsay was at home and they had to hide their relationship in a personal area like this wouldn't be easy to handle. But it was a challenge.

Around half an hour later, the four men arrived at the apartment Danny and Lindsay shared. Danny hadn't had the opportunity to call her and tell her that he'd bring some guests with him, and so he was excited about her reaction.

When they entered the apartment, they found Lindsay sitting in front of the TV. The moment they entered the living room and Flack shouted his 'hey' at her, the young woman almost jumped up from her seat. She looked at the three guests and then at her boyfriend, a mix of a shocked and confused look on her face.

"Whoa, Linds, I didn't want to scare you," Flack said, amused by her reaction.

Lindsay didn't respond to that and just stared at Danny, giving him a questioning look.

"They thought it'd be nice if we could spent a nice evening together. With playing cards and so on," he answered, giving her an excusing look.

"I hope that's okay," Hawkes added.

"Oh…of course it is," Lindsay finally managed to say. "It's…always nice to have guests. You…just scared me, I was too focused on the movie."

"What are you watching?" Adam asked while joining Flack, who already had sat down. Hawkes followed them as well while Danny headed over to the kitchen.

"Actually I have no idea. It's some kind of horror movie. Really scary if you ask me," Lindsay answered, looking back at the TV again.

Hawkes, who did the same, nodded in agreement. "Oh, I know this movie. Wow, I can understand that you find it scary. Why are you watching something like this?"

"Because I started watching it and want to know the end," she replied, her eyes completely focused onto the movie again. And, when the next scary scene appeared, she screamed without any warning, causing the guys on the couch to jump. "How can one willingly watch movies like this?"

"I could tell you the ending," Hawkes suggested, amused not only by her reaction but also by the scared looks on Flack's and Adam's faces, who obviously weren't enjoying the movies as well.

"No, I want to watch it on my own," Lindsay contradicted. "I'm no baby anymore."

Danny, who had listened to the entire conversation, had to fight hard against the urge to laugh. This was so typical Lindsay. She was scared by the movie, and even admitted it, but was too stubborn to stop watching it.

"Being scared by a movie doesn't mean you're a baby, Montana," he commented her earlier sentence. "Do you want a beer, too?"

"No, thanks, I can't drink right now," was the response and he couldn't help but chuckle.

Danny grabbed the beer for his friends and himself, carefully managed to take them over to the couches, making sure that he didn't drop any of them, before he set them on the coffee table and sat down next to Lindsay. He couldn't deny that it was a very funny sight; obviously Hawkes, who already knew the movie, was the only one who wasn't staring at the TV with huge, scared eyes, afraid of what'd come next.

"So, do you want to play or watch this horrible movie?" he asked, instantly getting the answer when Lindsay, Flack and Adam shouted 'watching the movie'.

Danny just shook his head, opening his beer. But before he could even take the first mouthful of it, another scream escaped Lindsay's lips, and before he could react, she grabbed his shirt, pulling herself tight against him. Stunned for the first moment, Danny instinctively closed his arms around her. But when he saw the knowing grin Hawkes gave them, he realized that they weren't alone. But to his luck, Flack and Adam seemed to be as scared as the woman lying in his arms, burying her face in his shirt.

"Are you okay, Montana?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound too affected by the sudden nearness of his girlfriend.

"Sure, I just…wasn't prepared for such a scene," she mumbled, but still not loosening her grasp. "Can I have a bit of your beer?"

"I thought you didn't want one."

"Not a whole beer. Just a sip."

"Sure."

Danny handed the beer over to her, letting her take her sip, before he sat the bottle back onto the table. For a moment he thought about quietly telling her to let go of his shirt, not sure how their current position- she was almost sitting on his lap, her face hidden in his chest- looked to the others, but then decided different. They all knew that the two of them were best friends, so what was wrong with him 'protecting' her because she was scared by a movie? And so he remained holding her.

Around an hour and several screams and shocking moments later, the movie finally ended and the five decided to play cards for a few rounds. To Danny's relief, none of his friends, apart from Hawkes of course, seemed to suspect that there could be more between him and his former best friend Lindsay. They spent the time together with playing cards, drinking beer and laughing.

Another two hours later, Flack, Hawkes and Adam decided to leave again. After the three men had gone and Danny had closed the apartment door again, he went back into the living room where Lindsay was leaning against one of the couches, giving him a shy smile.

"This was an unexpected evening, huh?" she asked when he approached her, stopping a few inches in front of her.

"Yeah, definitely," Danny agreed, resting his hands on her hips while remaining his eyes locked with hers. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you and just brought them with me."

"That's okay, it was funny," Lindsay replied, pulling him closer. "And I'm sorry that I threw myself at you like a scared child."

Danny chuckled, placing a soft kiss against her forehead. "This indeed was very…spontaneous. But it doesn't look like they noticed anything."

"Of course not, they were as scared by the movie as me," Lindsay replied, laughing as well. "But seriously, it was great to be together with you and the guys. We could do that more often. Only if you want of course."

"Sounds great," Danny agreed.

With that, he pulled her into a deep kiss, before he lifted her in his arms and carried her into his bedroom. She was right, the evening had been fun. And they definitely had to do that more often, even if this meant that it would be easier for the three men to find out their little secret.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing!!!!!!!!!**

Danny and Lindsay liked the idea of spending more time together with their friends. And so, one evening, they wanted to meet again, this time in a bar.

Around half an hour before they wanted to leave, Danny already was sitting in the living room, completely dressed, waiting for his girlfriend. Lindsay was still in the bathroom, the door locked. He didn't know what she was doing inside there the whole time; for him she had already looked perfect when she had entered the room almost an hour ago. Well, apart from the fact that she only had been wearing her underwear, something that only he was allowed to see.

Another fifteen minutes later, the bathroom door finally opened again. But instead of coming into the living room, Lindsay remained in the bathroom.

"What's the matter, Montana?" Danny asked.

"I'm really not sure if I can go like this," she answered.

"What? Come on, I'm sure you look great. You always do."

"I don't know," she replied with an insecure voice, but finally opened the bathroom door completely and entered the living room.

The moment she stepped into the room, Danny seriously wondered how she could think that she couldn't go like this. She was wearing tight, black jeans and a small, golden top. There was nothing special at that outfit, but the person who was wearing it, made it look as if it was one of these very expensive designer wardrobes. After soaking in every inch of the woman in front of him, his eyes finally found their way to his face, seeing that she was looking at him with a questioning look, waiting for him to say something.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, when after a few minutes he still hadn't spoken a word. "Is it okay?"

"Okay? It's…fantastic," he answered honestly.

"Really? But there's nothing special at this outfit. I know, we only go into a bar, but anyway."

"It's perfect, Montana, believe me. I'm already thinking if I can really present you to the others like this."

Lindsay chuckled, shaking her head. "Okay, if that's what you think. Lets go."

Around half an hour later, the two finally reached the bar. From Lindsay's behaviour, Danny could tell that she still felt a bit insecure, and he wondered why. He had asked her that earlier and she had told him that she was afraid about how people could look at her. He had answered that they'd only think how gorgeous she looked and that it actually wasn't important what people were thinking. Lindsay had more or less agreed with him, but obviously she hadn't changed her mind yet.

The moment the two of them entered the bar, Danny, who had rested his arm around his girlfriend's waist before, removed his arm from its current position again. Their friends still didn't know about them being a couple, and they weren't planning on changing that yet.

They quickly found the table the others had chosen and joined them. They were greeted warmly, like always, but Danny instantly noticed the looks Adam and Flack were giving Lindsay; not directly flirting-like, but anyway showing that they liked her the way she was dressed. Only Hawkes was grinning at him, obviously knowing what was going on in his mind.

But Danny decided to push away these kinds of thoughts; even if his friends were giving her these looks, he knew that they only were seeing her as a friend, or as something like a younger sister. And apart from that, she was his.

The five spent a nice evening together with playing pool and drinking one drink after the other. The huge amount of drinks caused them to laugh even more, and without them noticing it several hours passed.

It was already far after midnight when they agreed to leave the bar again to head home. Which was more difficult than it seemed to be. Adam had drunk way too much, almost not able to keep himself on his feet. Flack and Hawkes hadn't drunk that much, but anyway needed a while to find their balance after standing up from their chairs.

And Lindsay, who had drunk as much as her male friends, instantly lost her feeding the moment she stood up. With a chuckle, she crashed against Danny, grabbing his shirt to not fall to the ground. Danny, who seemed to be the only one who still knew what he was doing and saying, just grabbed her in time, trying to make her stand on her feet on her own, which he quickly learnt was impossible.

Helping each other, Danny, Flack and Hawkes managed to get the very drunk Lindsay and Adam out of the bar and to the fresh air.

"I'd say, none of us should drive in a shape like this," Flack answered while leaning against his car for support. He had driven himself, Hawkes and Adam to the bar, while Danny and Lindsay had walked the whole way; the bar wasn't far away from their apartment.

"You know what?" Danny replied, still fighting with preventing Lindsay from falling. "We'll go to my apartment. You can stay the night."

"What a great idea," Flack agreed. "I just wonder how we should manage to get the two here over to your place."

"You two take care of Adam, I'll carry Lindsay. I think, we should manage that," Danny suggested, and the two agreed with him.

With Flack's and Hawkes' help, he managed to lift Lindsay on his back, telling her to close her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, what she instantly did and even before they had started to walk, she had fallen asleep.

They needed an entire hour for a way which actually only needed half an hour, until they finally reached the apartment building. While Hawkes managed to rest the already half-asleep Adam on one of the couches, Danny asked Flack to help him with Lindsay. They went into Danny's bedroom, where they carefully loosened Lindsay's tight grasp around him, lying her down.

"Maybe it's just me being not really able to think straight," Flack suddenly said. "But isn't this your room?"

"It is," Danny answered. He knew that he needed an excuse, but he didn't really try to find a good one. "Look how she is. I don't want her to sleep alone like this. I should have taken care of how much she drank. Now I at least can take care of her at night."

"Okay," Flack agreed without asking any further questions, heading to the door. "But no naughty stuff while we're next door."

Danny couldn't help but laugh at this. He followed his friend into the living room, where Hawkes and Adam already were spread on two of the three couches. He gave pillows and blankets to them.

But before he could even wish them a good night, Lindsay suddenly appeared in the living room, still hardly able to keep herself on standing.

"Danny?" she asked with a very shaky voice. "I think, I have to…"

But before she could finish her sentence, Danny already had grabbed her around her waist and leaded her into the bathroom, already imagining what she wanted and preventing her from emptying her stomach in the middle of the living room.

A few minutes later, Lindsay was sitting on the bathroom floor, resting against the wall, with a pale face, but now fully awake again.

"Here, drink some water," Danny suggested and handed a glass to her.

"Thank you," she replied, drinking a mouthful of the cooling water, before she set the glass down onto the floor.

Danny sat down next to her, letting her rest her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said with a low voice after a moment of silence.

"What for?"

"I'm sure, seeing your girlfriend throwing up into the toilet doesn't look that nice," she explained, chuckling when he laughed lightly.

"That's okay," Danny answered, gently stroking through her hair. "And I should have taken care of you. I should have stopped you when you drank so much."

Again Lindsay chuckled. "No, don't say that. It wasn't your fault. I'm old enough I should know how much to drink. But anyway, do you know how darn cute you are?"

"Me?" he asked surprised. "Why?"

"Because you carried me home all the way. And because you're here now."

"You're more than welcome."

Danny and Lindsay remained sitting on the bathroom floor for another few minutes until Lindsay fell asleep again and Danny carried her back into his bedroom. The others were sleeping as well, and after lying down in bed again, making sure that he was holding her in a comfortable embrace, he needed not long until he fell asleep as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews!**

When Lindsay woke up again, she instantly was greeted by a hammering headache. She felt like her head would burst every moment and was hardly able to open her eyes. When she finally managed it, she was glad to see that someone, for sure Danny, had closed the curtains in front of the window so that she wasn't blinded by the bright sunshine.

Lindsay groaned, pressing one of her hands against her hurting forehead. So this was the payback for drinking too much the evening before? Great! And if this wasn't enough, her stomach felt sick as well. She carefully turned her head, just to discover that Danny wasn't lying next to her anymore. At least she could remember the evening before, although the images in her head were a bit dizzy and confusing.

She stayed in her current position for a few more minutes, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping that she could just go back to sleep again, glad that she didn't have to work at this day. With such a headache, she wasn't even sure if she'd be able to leave the apartment.

But unfortunately she was fully awake now, and so Lindsay slowly tried to sit up, groaning when the throbbing pain in her temples became stronger. She needed several minutes until she was able to push the blanket away and to set her feet onto the laminated floor, shivering lightly by the cool material. Then, after another painful groan, she finally managed to stand up, needing a moment to find her balance before she headed to the bedroom door.

When Lindsay left the bedroom, she saw her three friends, Flack, Hawkes and Adam, who were still spread on the three couches, obviously deep asleep. Paying no attention to the fact that all she was wearing was a, for her way too large, shirt of Danny, she walked through the living room.

"Good morning," she was instantly greeted by Danny, who was standing in the kitchen, smiling at her.

"Good morning," she mumbled back, slowly walking over to him. She was glad when she reached the kitchen table and could sit down again.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked, giving her a concerned look. "You look horrible."

"Thank you very much," Lindsay responded, glaring at him.

Danny chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You just don't look as if you're feeling good."

"How could I?" she asked back, resting her head in her palms. "I really don't know how you can be that fresh after such an evening."

"Maybe it's because I know how much I can drink," he replied, and in a slight guilty tone added, "I'm still sorry I didn't stop you. I haven't even noticed how much you have drunk until we decided to go home. Next time I'll pay more attention to that. So, can I do anything for you to make you feel better?"

"What about giving me something against this stupid headache?"

Danny just nodded. He quickly handed a pain-killer and a glass of water to her. After using both, Lindsay leaned back in her chair, watching him how he continued what seemed to be preparing breakfast for them. She remembered the evening before, after they had left the bar, and couldn't help but smile.

Once again Danny had proved how different he was from all her former boyfriends. None of them had ever taken the responsibility for her; one reason why she never had gone into bars with them and their friends or had gotten drunk with them. The risk that they could get any advantages of the situation had been to high for her. Now Lindsay knew that this had just shown how low the quality of these relationships had been.

Since she was together with Danny, Lindsay had the feeling that she could completely trust in him. She knew that instead of even thinking about hurting her, he'd do everything to protect her. Or to support her.

When they had been at the bar, Lindsay, who didn't even remember when she had been out like this or when she had gotten drunk for the last time, had just enjoyed the evening, without paying any attention to what she was doing. These four guys, her friends, were the best friends she had ever had, and she knew that she could trust in everyone of them.

After being in the bar for several hours, Lindsay hadn't been able to stand on her own feet anymore. But then Danny had taken the responsibility for his girlfriend; without anyone asking him to do that. He had carried her home all the way, he had brought her to bed, had freed her from her clothes and had been there for her when she had had to empty her stomach. And when she had felt ashamed, not really wanting him to see her weak and helpless, he had just shown her that he had no problem with it. He had been at her side the whole time, all the time taking care of her.

And while Lindsay was watching him now, once again she felt this deep, warm feeling deep inside of her. She wondered if he always had treated his girlfriends like this, or if it was just because of their relationship. But actually it didn't matter. She just enjoyed the fact that obviously she finally had found a person who really cared about her.

A few minutes later, when Danny and Lindsay already were having breakfast, first Hawkes and then Flack woke up as well. They joined them in the kitchen, grateful for the food, but both of them more or less suffering from the aftermath of the evening before. After what seemed to be another half an hour, Adam finally woke up as well, obviously having a much worse hangover than Lindsay.

The five quietly enjoyed their breakfast, and to Danny's and Lindsay's luck, none of them mentioned the fact that the couple had slept in the same bedroom and so in the same bed. Actually it only had been Flack who had really noticed that, but obviously he already had forgotten it again.

It already was around midday, when the three men finally felt fit enough again to leave the apartment.

"As much as my head is hurting right now," Flack said before he went through the apartment door. "It was a great evening. We really have to do that again, and I mean all of us five."

"Yes, definitely," Danny agreed. "And next time, I'd say we won't drink that much again."

"Sounds like a plan," Flack agreed.

Then the three left the apartment again to head back home, deciding that they'd pick up the car later, none of them able to drive yet.

Lindsay already had lain down in Danny's bed again, her blanket covering her completely. Danny quietly joined her in the bed, carefully lying down next to her. He looked at the covered silhouettes of his girlfriend for a while, before he carefully pulled back the blanket, instantly greeted by a not so amused gaze from her.

"Good to know that we don't have to work today, right?" he asked, his voice as low as possible to not make her head hurt even more. 

A light nod was his response. Agreeing that talking obviously really wasn't a good idea right now, Danny just lay down as well.

"Come here," he said, carefully pulling Lindsay into his arms, who willingly moved over to him.

They lay like this for a while, none of them talking a word, until Danny spoke again.

"Apart from your headache, it was really a great evening," he said. "I'm just glad Flack didn't remember that he had seen us sharing the same bed. I'm sure, if he hadn't been drunk, he instantly had noticed what's going on."

Danny looked down at Lindsay, who just nodded in agreement. At this moment, none of them knew, that hiding their little secret in front of Flack would become more difficult than they had ever expected.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! So, when will Flack find out their little secret?**

A week had passed since the five friends had been out in the bar. Unfortunately they hadn't had the opportunity to go out again yet. Work was taking a lot of time, and actually they all were glad when they could just go home into their apartments after working one shift after the other.

It was one of these evenings again. Danny and Lindsay had worked the same shift, which had started at 6 am and hadn't allowed the going home before midnight. But although their shift had been hard and exhausting, none of the two could sleep, and so they had decided to stay awake for a while, watching some TV.

Expecting that the rest of the night would be quiet and peaceful, they were lying in each other's arms, cuddling on one of the couches. Neither of them was in the mood to even think about moving from their current position; after such a day, every movement was like torture.

But the peacefulness was interrupted when the doorbell suddenly rang. None of them reacted to the sound first, both waiting for the other to stand up, until the doorbell rang again, this time longer, this time even more annoying.

"Did you order pizza?" Danny asked while slowly sitting up, pulling Lindsay, who had lain in his arms, with him.

"Is this the first you think about when the doorbell rings? That someone ordered pizza?" Lindsay asked back, raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Who else should ring at our door at around 1 am?"

"You'll find out when you open the door," Lindsay simply replied. When she saw the unwilling look in her boyfriend's eyes, she chuckled. "Come on, Danny, be a gentleman."

Without saying a word, Danny just shook his head and stood up to head to the front door, leaving a satisfied smiling Lindsay on the couch. Before he had even reached the door, the doorbell rang again, causing him to jump by the loud sound.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he groaned, annoyed unlocking and opening the door.

"Hey," he was surprisingly greeted by Flack, who was standing in front of him, looking at him with a very uncomfortable look. "I'm sorry I'm disturbing this late. Can I…come in?"

Danny instinctively stepped aside to let his friend in, who walked into the living room, where Lindsay was looking at him with the same surprised look Danny had given their friend earlier.

_What is he doing here at this time? _she wondered, her instinct telling her that something had to be wrong. Of course the five had agreed that they'd always be there for each other, no matter when. But Flack would never just come that late in the night without having a serious reason for that. And from the look on his face, she could tell that she was right.

"Hey Don," Lindsay greeted Flack, who had stopped in the middle of the living room, seeming to be unsure about what to do. "Is everything okay?"

When Flack let out a deep sigh, she already knew the answer- he definitely had a problem.

"Come on, lets first sit down," Danny suggested, leading his friend over to the couches. 

While Danny joined Lindsay, Flack sat down across of them. The three were silent for a while, until Flack finally started to talk.

"When I was on my way home, my landlord suddenly called me. He told me that I can't go into my apartment because a water pipe has broken. I anyway drove home, and…he was right. My whole apartment is soaked with water, everywhere. He said that he doesn't know how long they'd need to fix that. But apart from that, most of my stuff is totally ruined."

After he had ended, Flack just stared onto the coffee table in front of him. Danny and Lindsay shared a short glance. These were really bad news. There was no way he could go back into his apartment.

While watching her friend, seeing the sad look in his eyes, Lindsay asked, "Where will you spend the time until your apartment is fixed again?"

Flack shrugged. "No idea. I think, the first nights I'll spend in a hotel, and well, maybe someone of my family can let me stay at their places. Or someone else. I don't know, I think I'll find something."

"Why don't you stay here?" Lindsay instantly asked. When both men, Danny and Flack, stared at her with huge, surprised eyes, she blushed slightly. "What?"

"That's a really nice gesture, Linds," Flack replied, giving her a grateful smile. "But- how do you want to do that? This can last a few days, but also maybe a few weeks, I really have no idea. And do you really want me to live here, in your living room, the whole time?"

"I wasn't talking about you staying in the living room," Lindsay answered, amused noticing how Danny's eyes went even huger. She knew that what she was thinking about, was risky, and maybe even crazy, but Flack was their friend, and he'd do the same for them. "You can sleep in my bedroom. I'll share Danny's with him."

For a tiny moment, a light grin lit Flack's face. "Oh, you mean like the night after we went out? When you slept in his bed?"

Danny and Lindsay shared another short glance, both blushing lightly. Obviously Flack hadn't forgotten this evening. But she could use this fact as an advantage for her.

"Exactly," she answered. "Danny and I are living together for a while now, and I don't have a problem with spending a few nights together with him in one bed. It's a huge bed, as you remember, so we won't get too close together. As long as Danny has no problem with that."

Hoping that she wouldn't blush even more, Lindsay waited for her boyfriend's reaction. She knew how risky her suggestion was, but she was sure that she had handled the situation very well. Of course she knew that Flack had already noticed the chemistry between them; Danny had told her about the talk the two men had had about her in the bar a few weeks ago. But the way she had told him about her plans, she was sure that it just sounded like a helpful suggestion.

After a moment of silence, Danny, who had continued staring at his girlfriend for a while, finally answered, "Of course it's okay to me. You can sleep here, Don. I think, Montana and I will find a good solution."

"Wow," Flack responded, shaking his head lightly. "Do you two have any idea what great friends you are?"

"You're more than welcome, Don," the two answered. "So you want to move in for a while?"

When Flack had agreed with them, incredibly grateful that he had found a place that fast, they talked about how the time in which they'd live together, would look like. They quickly found an arrangement and decided that for this night he could already stay.

Around an hour later, the three went to bed. When Danny and Lindsay had lain down in Danny's bed, they remained silent for a while until Danny spoke again.

"You know, he'll definitely find out about the two of us," he said. "He already knew about that we have feelings for each other even before we were together. The only way I could prevent him from finding out yet, was telling him that I'd rather have your friendship than nothing and that I don't want to rush things. I'm glad he believed that, but now…"

"Don't worry," Lindsay replied. "He won't find out. And if he does, it'll be okay as well, I'd say."

When Lindsay had heard that Flack had no apartment for a while, the decision to let him move in for a while had been easy for her. He was their friend. But she couldn't deny that she also loved this as a challenge. Because for her, it had a special thrill that the chance to be caught had become even bigger. But of course she wouldn't tell her boyfriend about that. Not yet.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! So Flack is living together with them now. When will he find out that they're a together?**

The next morning it was Danny who had woken up early. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep and so he had already stood up. While standing in the kitchen, waiting for his coffee, he thought about Lindsay's and his decision to let Flack move in for a while.

Of course it was clear that they'd help their friend, and actually his first idea had also been asking him if he wanted to stay. But the fact that he and Lindsay were together and he didn't know about that yet made it a bit difficult.

Danny still wasn't sure what Lindsay was thinking about this whole nobody-needs-to-know-thing. She had been the one who had told him to keep their relationship a secret, and he had just agreed with that. Now it seemed that she more and more started to enjoy the risk to be caught, and he was the one who tried to keep their secret. It was really confusing him.

While standing in the kitchen, deep in his thoughts, Danny almost jumped when the door to Lindsay's former bedroom went open and a very sleepy Flack entered the living room. He walked into the direction of the kitchen, not without hitting hard against the coffee table.

"You're not at home, Don, you remember?" Danny asked, biting on his lips to not chuckle.

Flack didn't respond to that. Finally in the kitchen, he joined Danny at the kitchen table, while his friend handed a cup of coffee to him. They were quiet for a while, until Flack broke the silence.

"I really have to thank you again for letting me stay here," he said.

"You're welcome. That's what friends are for," Danny replied.

"Anyway, it was a nice gesture. And you even agreed to sleep in the same room with Lindsay. How was the night?"

When he heard Flack's question, Danny looked up from his cup, alarmed by the tone in the other man's voice. When their gazes met, he saw that Flack had raised his eyebrows, a tiny grin playing around his lips. What was going on in his mind at this particular moment?

"Good. Why?" Danny asked back, not sure if he even wanted to know the answer.

His response was a chuckle from Flack, before he answered, "Come on, Danny, who do you try to kid?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Flack laughed again. "No? Danny, I know you for so many years now. I know you almost as good as I know myself. Did you really think, I believed your excuse?"

"Which excuse?" Danny asked back, although he knew what Flack meant.

"When you told me that you rather want to have Lindsay's friendship than nothing, and that you don't want to rush things. Hello? You can tell this the others, but not me. I noticed what' going on between the two of you before you even knew it. You have never been just friends, there has always been a special tension between you two. You remember our talk in the bar? You were so down because you thought she didn't feel the same you were feeling for you. And now? Now you suddenly seem to be happy and have no problem with acting around her. And why? Because you accepted that she's just your friend? Or maybe because your feelings for her suddenly disappeared? Do you think, I'm that stupid?"

Danny just stared at his friend for a moment. He couldn't believe what he had just told him. He had really thought that he had believed his excuse. But of course he should have known him better. Of course Flack had noticed the change in his behaviour, and to him it was clear that this had happened because he and Lindsay were together now. Which was completely right. But although Flack more or less had found out their little secret, Danny anyway didn't plan on telling him the truth. Not without Lindsay knowing about it.

"I never called you stupid," he finally answered. "But I don't know what you're talking about. Lindsay is very important to me. I'm really grateful that you listened to me that night in the bar. But I found a good solution, so there's no need to discuss that anymore."

But when Danny had hoped that Flack would stop questioning him, he had been wrong.

"So you don't want to tell me that you're together with her?" he asked directly, and Danny had to look away again, knowing that his friend would instantly notice that he was right. Flack waited a moment, before he added, "Okay, I'm sure you have a reason why you don't tell me about the two of you, or why you're hiding your relationship. But I'll find out anyway."

And with a knowing smile plastered on his face, Flack stood up from his chair and headed to the bathroom, leaving a very confused Danny sitting in the kitchen.

--------

For the rest of the day, Flack didn't mention the topic again. After Lindsay had woken up as well, the three had had breakfast and then had gone to work. To their luck, Danny and Lindsay had worked the same shift and had managed to get home together. 

It was around 7 pm, when the couple was sitting on the couch, watching TV and enjoying the pizza they had just ordered. After finishing their dinner, Danny couldn't help but look at his girlfriend. He didn't want her to notice him staring at her, and so he forced himself to just throw several short glances at her.

Although the two of them had even worked the same case, they hadn't had a single free minute, they hadn't even had the chance for a short kiss.

And now, although they were at home again, this still hadn't changed. And the urge to just grab her and at least get his kiss, became almost unbearable.

Several minutes passed until a broad smile suddenly lit Lindsay's face, her eyes still focused onto the TV.

"Why don't you just tell me what you want?" she asked.

"What? What should I want?" he asked back, blushing lightly. She always caught him, no matter how careful he was.

"Okay," Lindsay just replied, turning her attention back to the TV program.

Danny raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend. He knew that she wasn't really watching what was going on on the screen; she was waiting for him to show her what he wanted. It was one of her games again- playing the unreachable. But after so many hours without even touching her, he didn't care.

And without hesitating any longer, he bent down to her, placing a gentle kiss onto her neck, directly below her ear. He felt her shivering lightly, knowing which feelings kisses at this particular place caused deep inside of her every time. And so he just continued kissing her neck, satisfied noticing the affect he had on her. He slowly moved closer to her, his right hand moving up her back and under her shirt.

But before he could go any further, she suddenly moved and grabbed his face in her palms to press her lips on his the next second, the intensity of her kiss instantly making him breathless. She pressed herself tightly against him, moving her position a bit more until she was sitting on his lap.

After what seemed to be several minutes, the got apart again, gazing deep into each other's eyes.

"Stop. Teasing: Me," Lindsay growled, her face only inches apart from his, her hot breath tickling on his burning lips.

"I should stop teasing? You're the one who plays games with me," Danny replied.

"When will Flack come home?"

"He said, not before 8. So almost one hour."

"Great," Lindsay responded, and without hesitating for another moment, she grabbed his face again and kissed him, even harder, even more passionate than before.

The two quickly got lost in the intensity of their kiss and of the strong emotions between them. They forgot that they were still sitting in the living room, but they didn't care. Flack wouldn't be home before 8. At least this had been what he had said.

But not what he had meant, what they learnt when the front door suddenly was opened. Danny and Lindsay, who had already removed half of their clothes, couldn't get apart fast enough, and so they couldn't help but just stare at a grinning Flack, both with shocked looks.

"Oh, I didn't want to interrupt something," he replied, grinning all the time.

"You…said you wouldn't be home before 8," Danny just asked, still in shock.

"Well, this was not really correct, I have to admit," Flack answered. "But you remember what I told you in the morning- I'll catch you. And this was what I did. Great to know that I was right with my suspicious."

Danny's eyes went even bigger, and when he looked at Lindsay, he saw the exact same look in hers. They had been caught. Again.

"But you know what?" Flack continued, walking over to his current bedroom. "You two are my best friends, and you let me live here. Of course I won't tell anyone about the two of you. And it's also not my intention to embarrass you. But, seriously, I knew that you're together, I knew it the whole time. And…actually I didn't want to wait until you finally tell me about that. That's why I did this here. But as I said- I won't talk about your relationship to anyone. That's your job."

And with that, he quickly entered the bedroom. Danny and Lindsay remained sitting on the couch for a moment, before they finally were able to move again.

"Actually it was clear that he knew about us," Lindsay said.

"Yes. He already told me about that this morning. But…I thought it would be better to not tell him everything without talking to you before," Danny replied.

"Thanks. But looks like he didn't want to wait that long. Actually I can understand him. I think, I would have been as curious as he was, and I'm pretty sure I would have done the same."

"Yes, I think, me, too."

"But this doesn't mean that we couldn't take revenge anyways."

"I totally agree with you."

And while finally going into their own bedroom, the two started to think about payback, both needing their whole willpower to not laugh by the thought of Flack's face. Yes, the two of them were good with teasing, and with payback as well. Especially when they were working together.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Lets see what they have planned for Flack!**

Danny and Lindsay couldn't wait until they could translate their plan into action. Flack had already had his fun with his two friends, now it was their turn.

They quickly had agreed about what they wanted to do, although Lindsay wasn't really sure if their plan would work. They wanted to get him into an embarrassing situation, not more embarrassing than hers had been. Lindsay's part was flirting a bit with Flack, just to be caught by Danny.

"But I'm really not sure if this works," Lindsay said.

"Why not?" Danny asked. "The plan is great. And it'll be a lot of fun."

"But I can't…flirt with him. I can't flirt with another guy than you."

Danny couldn't help but proudly grin at this comment. It was good to know that he was the only one who got the pleasure of her flirting with him. And while thinking about that, he realized that what the two of them had had, never had been just friendship, because actually they had flirted from the first day on. They just hadn't really known it.

"You don't have to flirt with him," Danny then replied. "You just have to play it. Just tease him a bit."

Lindsay sighed deeply, but then nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, at least I'll try it."

A few days later, the evening finally had come where they wanted to take revenge. Danny's and Lindsay's shift had ended earlier than Flack's, and so they had quickly rushed home to get prepared.

When Flack then came home, Lindsay was sitting in the living room, while Danny was hiding in his bedroom. He had opened the door a bit so that he had a good view into the living room and at the show.

When the front door went open and a very tired Flack slowly entered the apartment, he could hardy bear his anticipation.

Lindsay, who in her eyes had the worse part of their plan and who had been a bit nervous, took a deep breath before she stood up from the couch.

"Hey," she greeted her friend, trying to give him one of her best smiles. "Wow, are you okay? You look really tired."

"Oh, no surprise, my shift was horrible," Flack groaned while taking off his jacket and hanging it on one of the hooks next to the door.

Lindsay walked over to him, gently took his arm and pulled him into the direction of the couch. "Then you really should relax now. I cooked dinner. Just sit down."

"Thanks, you're the best," Flack replied, letting himself fall onto the couch. "Where's Danny?"

"Oh, he's in the bedroom," Lindsay answered, instinctively throwing a short glance at the bedroom door where she knew her boyfriend was hiding. She could almost feel his excitement. "He's sleeping."

"What?" Flack asked, surprised raising his eyebrows. "It's way too early for him to already go to bed."

"Yes, I know, but he was tired," Lindsay lied, focusing onto the plate she was just preparing, hoping that she wouldn't blush too much. She quickly finished the meal for her friend and headed back to the couch.

"Here you go," she said and handed the plate over to Flack.

"Oh, Linds, that smells fantastic," Flack replied, closing his eyes when he soaked in the delicious aroma. 

Then he started to eat, while Lindsay watched him. Her heart was racing; she was waiting for her turn. Actually she thought that their plan might be a bit childish, but what Flack had done, hadn't been better, and she couldn't wait to see his face when he found out. What she didn't like was the fact that for that, she had to flirt with him, and she knew that she couldn't. First because Danny was sitting not far away, watching them, and second because her boyfriend was the only one she could treat like this. Flack was more like a big brother, nothing else.

While eating, Flack told her about his annoying shift, and Lindsay listened to him, all the time staring at him. When Flack finally had finished eating, he responded her gaze, staring back at her for a few minutes, before he slightly raised his eyebrows again.

"Are you okay, Linds?" he asked.

"Yes, sure," Lindsay replied. This was her chance. And while hoping that she wouldn't blush too much, she moved closer to him. "You really had a hard day, huh? Me, too. Sometimes work can really be hard. It's always great to have someone who supports you, who's there for you."

And with that, she leaned her head against his shoulder, letting out a light sigh. After a brief moment of hesitation, she also raised her hand and rested it on his arm.

Danny, who could see the expressions on Flack's face when she did that, almost laughed. He had absolutely no idea what was happening to him.

"Uh…Lindsay," Flack started, not really sure how to react to his friend. "You know, I really like being there for you, but actually the one who's your supporter is in the bedroom over there."

"Yeah, I know, but he's sleeping right now. And I don't want to wait until he finally wakes up again," Lindsay replied. She removed her head from his shoulder and looked at Flack, her face only inches apart from his. "But now I have you. Or do you have any problems with that?"

And while needing her whole willpower to keep their eye contact and to not blush and look away, Lindsay slowly let her hand move upwards Flack's arm.

Flack just stared at her, his eyes huge and almost shocked. Danny, who was still sitting behind the door, couldn't decide if he should laugh or just storm out of the room. He knew that this was a game, and he could clearly see how uncomfortable Lindsay felt; she didn't enjoy what she was doing, and he wondered why Flack didn't instantly notice that she was just faking everything. But the fact that his girlfriend was so close to another guy immediately let his jealousy rise.

And obviously Flack was thinking about the same. After looking at the young woman for a moment, he said, "Lindsay, I…I really don't think that this is a good idea. Especially not when he's sleeping next door."

"Why?" Lindsay asked back, slightly raising her eyebrows. "I'm doing nothing. Just sitting here with you. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, but…" Flack stammered. "But…you know how jealous Danny is. We don't have to do anything, but when…he sees us like this, he…he'll kill me."

Danny, who hardly could prevent a laughter from escaping his mouth, thought that he had waited long enough now. He stood up from his hiding place and with one quick motion opened the door.

The moment Danny entered the living room, the two persons on the couch instantly stared at him, Lindsay with faked surprise, Flack with shock. He had to bite on his tongue to stay serious.

"Hello," he said, playfully raising his eyebrows. "May I ask you what you're doing here?"

"Nothing," Flack instantly replied, his eyes becoming even huger. "We…I mean…I…uh….Lindsay made me dinner, and….we talked a bit. And because she was tired, she rested her head against my shoulder. That's all."

"Are you sure about that?" Danny asked, faking the dangerous tone in his voice so good that he himself almost believed what he said.

"Yeah, of course, ask her," Flack answered, looking more and more uncomfortable with every passing moment.

"Oh, yeah? But it wouldn't be the first time that you lie at me," Danny replied, stepping closer. "You remember? For example you told me that you wouldn't come home before 8, but you lied to me and came earlier. You remember the day when you caught me and Lindsay? When you played this trick on us?"

"Yes, but…" Flack tried to contradict, but stopped again.

He had noticed a tiny grin playing around Danny's lips, and when he looked at Lindsay, he saw that she was also fighting with grinning.

"Oh, wait," he said. "Don't tell me the two of you have planned all this?"

"Did we?" Danny asked Lindsay.

"Oh, yes," Lindsay answered, and when she saw the look on Flack's face, she couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry, Don," Danny said, laughing as well. "But I think, this was just fair after what you have done. We needed to take revenge."

He looked into Flack's eyes, hoping that he wasn't hurt or mad, but when his friend finally had recovered from his shock and broke out in laughter as well, he was relieved.

"Okay, okay," Flack managed to say. "I think, now we're even. And I have to admit, this was a really good idea. I should keep that in mind."

"I just can't believe that you really believed me," Lindsay said, wiping away her laughing tears. "Did you really think I'd behave like this in front of you? I'm together with Danny, I wouldn't even think about touching another guy. Not even you."

"Maybe it was just the surprise," Flack replied.

The three needed a while until they could stop laughing again. Danny and Lindsay were happy that their plan had worked so perfectly; Flack was right, now they were even. But all of the three knew that as long as they'd live together in this apartment, this hadn't been the last time that they had teased each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews!**

The repairs in Flack's apartment lasted longer than expected, and so Danny and Lindsay talked to their landlord, who allowed him to stay as long as he needed to. Since Flack knew about his two friends being together, living in one apartment was fun for them. Lindsay had taken her clothes and her personal stuff from her bedroom to make some space for Flack, who had rescued some of his own things, and especially most of his clothes, from his apartment and now had practically completely moved in.

But living so close together with his two friends also had the affect that Flack had much time to watch them. And so he didn't need not much time to notice the little, but for him obvious, changes in Danny's mood and behaviour.

One evening, Danny and Flack had been out with Hawkes and Adam, who also finally knew about the couple. Lindsay had stayed at home because she hadn't felt good and also had been too exhausted after her long shift.

They had gone to their favourite bar, but while Flack, Adam and Hawkes had fun, like always, Danny was unusually quiet. After watching his friend for a while, Flack had asked him if he was okay, but the only response had been a 'sure'; Danny's behaviour had stayed the same all the evening.

Around midnight, the four men decided to go home again, and Flack noticed that Danny almost seemed relieved about that. He didn't say anything to that, but he made a mental note that they'd definitely talk about what was going on with him.

When they reached the apartment again, they tried to be as quiet as possible, expecting that Lindsay might already be asleep. She indeed wasn't awake anymore, but obviously she had fallen asleep while watching TV and was now lying on the couch.

Danny quietly went over to her and knelt down next to the couch. He watched her for a brief moment, before he gently wiped a hair strand out of her face. She stirred lightly but didn't wake up.

"My poor baby," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. To Flack, who had just stopped across the couch, watching him, he added, "I'll take her to bed."

He carefully lifted her up in his arms, causing her to whimper slightly when she felt the sudden movement.

"Shh, go back to sleep, it's just me," Danny whispered into her ear, kissing her onto her cheeks.

Lindsay mumbled something before she closed her arms around Danny's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He carried her into the bedroom, where he slowly lay her down, and covered her with the thick blanket. He kissed her again, which this time woke her up. She looked at her boyfriend with very sleepy eyes, rubbing her hands over her face.

"Danny?" she mumbled, blinking a few times.

"Yes, it's me, Flack and I just came back home," Danny replied, giving her a warm smile. "Do you feel better?"

"A bit. I'm just…tired."

"Yes, of course, and that's why you should sleep again. I'll just eat something and then I'll come as well."

Lindsay nodded slightly, pulling the blanket a bit higher. She closed her eyes again and had fallen asleep again the next minute. Danny gently stroked through her hair before he stood up and left the bedroom again. Flack was already sitting on the couch, having a well filled plate and a beer.

"Where did you get this from?" Danny asked surprised.

"There's more of that in the oven," Flack replied with a full mouth. "Looks like Lindsay cooked for us."

"Although she doesn't feel well," Danny said, staring at Flack's plate before he also headed into the kitchen to get something to eat.

A moment later both men were sitting on the couch, eating peacefully. Danny was deep in his thought again; the reason why he didn't notice that his friend was watching him the whole time. Flack was still trying to understand Danny's strange behaviour and finding out why he was so deep in his thoughts that often. And the longer he thought about that, the more he got a suspicion. But he decided to not say what he was thinking but to give Danny the opportunity to talk about it on his own.

"Are you okay?" Flack then asked, trying to start a conversation.

"That's the second time this evening you ask me that," Danny replied. "I am okay, why?"

"Why? Because you have a really strange behaviour during the last time," Flack answered.

"Oh, really?" Danny asked sarcastically. "What am I doing that you think that?"

"A lot. You're unusually quiet and it seems as if your thoughts always drift away. You're not concentrating. And you almost seem to be sad. Like today. We had so much fun. And you? How many sentences did you say? Maybe five? Danny, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing is going on with me," Danny hissed, getting annoyed by being questioned.

Flack sighed deeply, shaking his head. "Danny, I'm sorry, but you're my friend and I know that you don't feel well. You know, you can always talk to me, about everything. That's what friends are for."

"And if I don't want to talk?"

"It's your decision, but I'd recommend it."

Danny stared in front of him onto the coffee table for a moment, fighting with himself. There was indeed something, something he was often thinking about, but he didn't know how to speak it out. He had never really learnt to talk about feelings, no matter who the listener was. But Flack was right; talking could help. And after taking a deep breath, he finally started to speak.

"The only reason why I wasn't in a good mood today was because of Lindsay," he started. "I was just worrying. And I don't like it when she doesn't feel good."

Flack nodded. "I can understand that. But what's with the other time?" When Danny remained quiet again, he added, "Am I right when I think that it's because of her as well?"

Danny shrugged. "Could be."

"And what are you thinking about the whole time? I mean, okay, maybe it's not my business, but…I don't have the feeling that the two of you have any major problems in your relationship."

"It's not her fault," Danny replied, leaning back against the couch. "It's my problem."

"And what is it?"

Danny sighed deeply. He threw a short glance at Flack, who was watching him, patiently waiting for him to continue. And, although he wasn't even sure what he was really thinking, Danny went on with his explanation.

"I don't know what's going on with me. I mean, you know how confused I was the whole time when I noticed that Lindsay is more than just a friend for me, right? When I got together with her, I thought this would stop again. But it didn't. I…I never had such a wonderful relationship before. I love every single moment I can spend together with her, no matter what we're doing. I don't have to kiss or to touch her, or to have sex with her. I also love lying in bed with her, or here on the couch; just sitting there, doing nothing. It's great to hold her in my arms, feeling her next to me. I even love talking to her, about everything. We can have so much fun, but I also can have really serious talks with her. I didn't have this with any other woman before. She's so different, and I'm so happy with her. I just…noticed that…that I really start to miss her when I don't see her, even if it's just for a few hours. I'm thinking about her almost every second. I need to see her, I need to hear her, I even need to smell her. And when I don't know what she's doing, I'm getting worried. Don, I really don't understand what's going on with me. I…I have the feeling this woman has become to the centre of my life. It's as if I were addicted to her."

After he had ended, Danny looked at Flack again, his eyes pleading for an answer. An answer for his question- what was going on with him? Had Lindsay become something like an addiction to him? When he saw the smile his friend gave him, he was even more confused.

"I won't call it an addiction," Flack answered after a short moment. "What you're telling me doesn't sound like this."

"But what is it? I never felt this before, and she's not my first relationship."

Flack laughed. "No, definitely not. But as you said, she's different. Maybe because your feelings for her are different. Do you even know what you're feeling for her?"

Danny shrugged again. "I'm not sure. I never thought about a word for that." 

But the moment he had spoken out this sentence, he knew that this was wrong. He remembered a talk he had had with Lindsay some time ago. A talk where he had almost told her something about what he was really thinking about her. It had been after the night she had slept in his bed the first time, after she had been afraid because of the car accident.

_[Flashback_

"Hey, it's okay," he whispered, gently grabbing her around her shoulders to pull her closer. He felt her tensing lightly, but then she just let him pull her back into his arms. A tiny sob escaped her lips, causing him to hold her even tighter. "You didn't bother me, and you never will, this is totally impossible. I can understand you, and there's nothing wrong with being scared. I'm sure, I would have reacted the same way."

"Why?" she mumbled against his chest. "Why would you react like this only because you have a strange feeling?"

"Because I…" Before he could finish his sentence, Danny closed his mouth again, shocked by what he almost had said. Did he really just try to tell her that he…?

_Wow, I didn't even know that I'm feeling THAT for her, _he thought.

_[/Flashback_

Danny could clearly remember what he had wanted to say. He knew how the sentence would have ended if he hadn't stopped himself from speaking it out.

_Because I love you._

Because he loved her? Was this the reason why he needed her so much? Why she had become the most important part in his life? He wondered why he had forgotten what he had thought at this moment. Maybe because he hadn't been sure if it was really 'love' he was feeling for her? Had he just tried to push this thought away, thinking that it was wrong? What was it, this feeling, that people called love? He had to find it out.

"Have you ever been in love, Don?" Danny suddenly asked, looking at his friend. 

He expected that Flack would stare at him, wondering why he wanted to know this, but he was wrong. Instead of that Flack's smile just grew bigger.

"Yes, I think so," he replied.

"How does it feel like?"

"I think, you already know that, Danny," Flack replied.

Danny stared onto the coffee table again, slowly nodding his head. "Yeah, maybe I really know it."

And while thinking about it, Danny realized that Flack was right. Of course he knew it. He knew how it felt like to be in love, and this for a long time now. The morning after Lindsay had slept in his bed, the morning when they had kissed for the first time, he had almost spoken it out. Deep inside he had always known it. He just hadn't been able to believe it.

He was in love. This was the only possible explanation for the strong feelings he had for her. Danny had always thought that he'd never fall in love. Never. But now it had happened, and he couldn't deny that it was the best he had ever felt.

Around five minutes later, Danny and Flack finally went to bed. When Danny entered his bedroom, he stopped next to the bed, for a short moment watching his sleeping girlfriend, tightly wrapped into her blanket.

_I love you, _he thought, smiling when he realized how easy it suddenly was to admit it. Telling her what he was feeling would be more difficult. But according to the strength of the love he was feeling for her, he'd do it soon.

And when Danny lay down in his bed, carefully pulling Lindsay into his arms, feeling how she instinctively wrapped her arms around him, he started to think about how this could happen. How could he tell his beloved Montana that he was in love with her? For him it was clear that this moment had to be something special; as special as she was for him. And before he finally fell asleep, a huge grin lit his face. He already had an idea.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! I decided that this story will have 14 chapters.**

After he had finally realized what he was feeling for Lindsay, Danny decided that she also deserved to know about that. But he didn't just want to say 'I love you' to her, in an all day situation. He wanted it to be a special, a romantic moment. But apart from that he hadn't gotten any ideas yet. And so he asked his friend and current roommate, Flack, for an advice.

"What can I do?" he asked. "I want it to be the perfect moment. But…I don't know, I can't wait until this moment finally appears."

"Then do something romantic," Flack just said.

Danny groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, great. I know that, too. But what can I do? And when? And where? I don't just want to do what everyone does- going into a restaurant, or whatever."

"Then I have only one advice," Flack answered, chuckling by Danny's excited expression. "I'd just wait. Don't force yourself to come up with something- that just stresses you and that's absolutely not romantic. I'm sure, you'll get an idea."

Danny just nodded. This hadn't been the help he had hoped for. Now he knew as much as he had known before. But Flack was right- forcing himself to do something romantic wouldn't be right. And so he decided to wait for a while, to wait for his imagination to come up with a nice idea.

But before Danny could find any ideas for what he could do for his girlfriend, the moment, the 'perfect' moment how he had called it, came faster than he had expected.

It had been a hard day. Danny an Lindsay had worked a case together, and although she didn't say a word, Danny could feel that this case had affected her a lot. She was quieter than usual and it was obvious that she needed a lot of her willpower to concentrate on working. He felt sorry for her, but thought that it was better to not ask her about that. Danny knew that somewhere along the line Lindsay finally had learnt that she could completely trust in him. She'd talk to him when she thought that she had to.

It was late, almost midnight, when Danny passed their shared office, expecting that he'd find her there. But the only one he found in the office was Hawkes.

"Hey, do you know where Lindsay is?" Danny instantly asked.

"Oh, Lindsay, yes, she seemed to not feel that well when she was here earlier," Hawkes answered. "Is she okay?"

"I hope so. It's because of our case, I think," Danny replied. "So, where is she?"

"She said that she needed to get some fresh air. I don't know where she got to."

"Thanks."

With that, Danny left the room again. He hesitated for a moment, wondering where she could be. She wanted to get some fresh air? But where? He decided to get down onto the street. Maybe she just wanted to walk a bit, to clear her thoughts. But when he arrived at the street, there where several people, but not his girlfriend.

Danny didn't know why, but he suddenly felt his heart racing unusually fast. Where was she? Her shift hadn't ended yet. Maybe she was inside again? But then Danny remembered that there could also be another place where she could be to get some fresh air. On the roof.

As fast as he could, Danny entered the building again and headed to the elevators. He still felt nervous, although he knew that it was stupid. What should she do up there? Maybe she was sad. But this didn't mean that she'd do something wrong.

When he reached the roof a few minutes later, Danny instantly noticed Lindsay, who was standing a few feet away. She seemed to be deep in her thoughts, not noticing him. He slowly approached her, trying to not make too many noises to not scare her. When he reached the small woman, he carefully wrapped his arms around her from behind, feeling how she tensed at the first moment but then leaned back against him.

"Hey," she said with a low voice.

"Hey," Danny replied, pulling her as close as he could. "What are you doing here?"

"I just needed some quiet," she answered. "And then I was caught by this fantastic view."

Danny followed her eyes and had to admit that she was right. The view in front of them; the sparkling lights of the skyline, was always impressive. Although he had always lived in this city, Danny never stopped loving this sight. 

And while standing like this with her, he realized it. This was it. The moment he had waited for. He didn't need to arrange anything. This moment, when the two of them were standing on the roof, watching the bright city lights, surrounded by the sounds of the streets below, was much more romantic and intimate than anything he could have come up with.

"I'm sorry if you worried because of me," Lindsay interrupted him in his thoughts.

"Oh, it's okay," Danny replied, placing a soft kiss into her hair. "But it's good that you came here."

"Yes? Why?"

"Oh, well," Danny began, suddenly feeling nervous again. If he was even nervous only because he wanted to tell her that he loved her, how would he feel if he'd propose to her one day? At this thoughts, Danny's eyes went wide.

Wow, you're already thinking about marrying? That's maybe a bit too quick.

And so he forced himself to concentrate on what he actually wanted to say.

"Lindsay, I'm glad that we have a few quiet minutes together. This doesn't happen that often. We're working so hard, and with a roommate, it's not really quiet as well," he continued, hoping that his voice would cooperate long enough with him. "Did I ever tell you how happy I am that we're together?"

"You're doing that every day," Lindsay replied.

Danny nodded. "Yes. And it's true. You…you're the most important person in my life. You're causing feelings deep inside of me which I never thought I'd be able to feel." And after taking another deep breath, he finally said, "I love you."

He expected a reaction to that, but Lindsay didn't say a single word. Instead of that he felt her lightly shaking in his arms, compared with a suppressed sob. His eyes widened in shock. He hadn't really known how she'd react. But crying? Why was she crying? Was it so bad for her that he told her that he loved her?

"Are you okay, Lindsay?" he whispered into her ear, not sure if he wanted her to answer. He carefully turned her around so that he could face her, the tears running down her cheeks, breaking his heart.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"Why?"

"Because…because I'm…I'm behaving like a complete idiot. I…I should freak out because you told me you love me, but…instead of that…I'm so sorry."

"But…why are you crying?" Danny asked, totally confused by her actions.

"It's just…it's not the first time that a man tells me that he loves me," she explained, and beyond the tears he suddenly noticed the tiny bit of a smile. "But when I heard you saying it, for the first time I had the feeling that it's really true, that you mean it. And…that's such an incredible feeling."

While listening to her, Danny couldn't help but sigh relieved. She wasn't crying because he had something wrong. She was crying because he was the first man who gave her the feeling to truly be loved, and the realization of that overwhelmed her.

"Of course I mean it," he replied, gazing her deep into her eyes. "I'm not like the other guys."

Lindsay nodded, wiping away her tears. "I know. Could you…maybe…say it again?"

A grin lit Danny's face when he nodded. "I love you, Lindsay."

"I love you, too, Danny," she replied.

She had said only five words. But these five words had an almost overwhelming affect on him. Danny could feel how tears started to rise in his eyes as well; now he could understand her former reaction. And without hesitating any longer, he gently took her face in his palms and kissed her.

Danny and Lindsay remained on the roof for a few more minutes. They were just standing there, looking at the fantastic view, holding each other in a tight embrace. Yes, they were definitely in love. And from this time on they silently promised to show that to each other as often as they could. 


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the idea.**

Around a month had passed since Danny and Lindsay had announced that they loved each other. Flack had already moved out two weeks ago; the damage in his apartment was fixed again. And so everything was like it had been before, apart from the fact that almost everyone of their friends knew that they were together.

And somewhere along the line, Danny had noticed that also something else was different. And it had something to do with Lindsay's mood.

First he had thought that he was just imagining it. He had noticed that her mood changed several times a day; sometimes she was frustrated and aggressive, sometimes she was sad. And she was never really happy.

He had watched her behaviour for around a week, and then had decided that he needed to talk to her. Danny couldn't stand seeing his girlfriend sad or mad. He wanted her to feel good.

And so, one day after work, he planned on talking to her. All the way home he was thinking about how he could start the conversation best. But the moment he opened the door to his apartment, he realized that he didn't need any conversation skills to get her talking.

When he entered the living room, Danny instantly saw his girlfriend, sitting on the couch. The TV was running, showing the news, but she didn't pay any attention to that. Instead of that, she had curled up on one of the couches, her face buried in her hands. He didn't even have to step closer to see that she was crying.

With two long steps, he reached the couch, kneeling down in front of her.

"Hey, baby, what has happened?" he asked concerned, gently taking her wrists in his hands to pull her hands away. "Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing," she sobbed- exact the answer he had expected and he got most of the time when she didn't feel well.

"If it were nothing, you wouldn't cry," he contradicted. "Please, baby, tell me what's going on here."

"It's really nothing," she replied, frustrated rubbing her hands over her face to wipe away the tears, leaving red marks. "It's just me being stupid."

Danny took her hands in his again, gently stroking over her reddened cheeks. "You're not stupid. Why are you crying?"

Lindsay sighed deeply before she answered, "I…I just…feel…homesick. I know it's stupid, because I am already at home. But…I anyway…miss my old home."

Danny nodded and joined her on the couch. The moment he sat down next to her, she closed her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his shirt. He gently rubbed her back until he could hear her crying becoming quieter again.

"Montana, it's not stupid to feel homesick," he whispered into her ear. "This can happen. I mean, the life you're living here is so different from your old life in Montana. It's just normal that you miss that sometimes."

Lindsay, who's crying finally had changed into a light sobbing, looked up at him, her face red and wet of tears. "Maybe it is. But…I have a wonderful home here."

Danny couldn't help but smile at this last sentence. It was a wonderful feeling that she thought that what they had was her home. But he also could understand her homesickness.

"What are you missing so much?" he asked, gently wiping away the last tears.

"I'm not sure," she started. "I mean, I talk to my parents and my brother on the phone every day. But…I miss seeing them. And I miss…the quiet, the quiet of the country. And the animals. And if it wasn't enough that I can't see them, my Mom told me that my cat, the one I had for so many years, ran away, and they couldn't find her anymore. I was used to live with animals, and now…I wish I had taken the cat with me."

Danny just nodded again and pulled her back in his arms. Of course he could understand that she was sad and missed her home back in Montana. He wished he could do something against that. But what? Letting her parents fly over? They had already planned that they wanted to visit them. But while thinking about that, Danny realized that there indeed was something he could do for her. He wasn't sure if it really made her feel better, but it was better than nothing, and he could at least try it.

And so Danny stood up very early the next day. He tried to be as quiet as possible, making sure that he didn't wake her up. All he did was leaving a note before he quietly left the apartment.

When Lindsay woke up, she instantly noticed that she was lying alone in the huge bed. She expected that Danny had already stood up, but it was unusually quiet in the apartment, and so she decided to stand up as well. She headed into the kitchen, where she instantly found the paper he had left for her.

"_Montana,_

_I'll be back in a few minutes. I had to do something important._

_I love you."_

She smiled at the note and read it again, especially the last part. In her eyes, leaving notes like this was one of the most romantic things one could do. She took the little paper and brought it into the bedroom where she put it into the drawer of her bedside table. Even if it was a simple, little note, she wanted to keep it.

Lindsay was already having breakfast when she heard the sound of a key in the keyhole. A moment later her boyfriend entered the living room. He was carrying something, and the moment he saw her, a huge grin lit his face.

"Can you do me a favour?" he asked.

"Sure, what?" Lindsay asked back, her eyes curiously resting on the basket he was holding.

"Close your eyes. And don't contradict."

Lindsay chuckled, but did what he had told her. Danny slowly walked over to her and set the basket onto the table.

"Give me your hands," he ordered, and Lindsay willingly stretched her hands out.

She could feel how he gently took them and placed them onto the table, before they suddenly got in contact with something else. It was warm, and smooth. And it was living. And before Danny could even tell her to open her eyes, she opened them and saw what he had given to her.

Lying in her hands, she found a tiny cat, a tiger printed cat, just fitting into her palms. The moment her eyes found the cat, she could feel tears rising in her eyes.

"Oh, Danny," she whispered, totally caught by the cuteness of the small animal.

"I know, it's not your cat from Montana, and she can't replace her," he answered, still grinning. "But you said that you miss the animals, and I thought, having a cat would at least change this."

"Do you even know how damn cute you are?" Lindsay managed to say, the first tears running down her cheeks. She carefully leaned forward to place a grateful kiss on his lips. "Thank you so much. This is…one of the best presents I ever received."

"I'm glad you like her," Danny replied, feeling his own tears rising. He hadn't been sure how she'd react, and now was relieved that his surprise had been a success. "So, any ideas how you want to call her?"

Lindsay nodded, gently stroking the little cat. "What about Daisy?"

"Sounds good," Danny agreed with her.

He amused watched her for a while, thinking how cute she was while adoring his little present. He knew that it sometimes would happen that she'd miss her family and her old home Montana. But she was right- she had a home in New York, too. And she had a family in this city as well; she had him, their friends, and the little cat Daisy.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

Around half a year later:

It was a cold and snowy day in February. Lindsay had just woken up, but hadn't stood up yet. She was still cuddled tightly into her blanket, looking out of the window where she could see snowflakes dancing in the air.

Usually she loved winter, especially the snowy winters she was used to from Montana. And winter in New York was nice as well. But at this moment, she only saw the bad sides of everything. She didn't enjoy her day off, she didn't enjoy the snow. Instead of that she was in a bad mood. Like the day before. Actually like the entire week before. Or was it even a month? She didn't know it.

All she knew was, that almost everything seemed to annoy her. Which caused her behaving in a way she really didn't like. Like yesterday, when she had screamed at Danny because he hadn't cleaned the bathroom after he had showered. He had just forgotten it. So why had she screamed at him like this? And why had she rushed into the bedroom after that and had cried? Of course she had said sorry after that, and he hadn't been mad at her, but why was she overreacting like this?

And if this wasn't enough, she didn't feel good physically as well. She felt dizzy almost every days, especially in the morning, her stomach felt sick and if she could decide, she would sleep 24 hours a day. Maybe this was the reason why she was in such a bad mood? She didn't know it.

Lindsay threw a short glance at the alarm clock. 8 am. Great. She had her free day, and instead of sleeping, like she had wished to do all the days before, she was fully awake now. With a groan, she threw her blanket away and stood up. She had to stop for a moment, feeling as if she'd faint every second. But after closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, she slowly started to feel better again and finally managed to leave the bedroom.

She decided to take a shower. But when she was standing under the warm shower spray a few minutes later, she only felt sick again. Usually a nice, hot shower always helped, but now it made her feel even worse.

"Damn," she hissed and hit her fist against the wall. What was going on with her?

She quickly finished the shower and headed back into the living room. Maybe breakfast could help? After feeding Daisy, she headed to the fridge, searching for something to eat. But the moment she opened the door, she was overwhelmed by her sickness. In what had to be record time, she rushed back into the bathroom, just in time to empty her stomach into the toilet.

Lindsay needed her whole willpower to not just break down in the middle of the bathroom. Her head was spinning and she had to grab the curtain of the shower to keep her balance. Resting her back against one of the walls, she slid down onto the floor. She closed her eyes, counting her breaths to fight back the again rising sickness. Maybe she should just go to a doctor. This was definitely not normal.

But before Lindsay could even think about standing up, the doorbell suddenly rang. She groaned again, for a moment thinking about just ignoring the person at the other side of the apartment door. But when the doorbell rang again, this time with more force, she decided to at least have a look at who was there.

Lindsay didn't know why, but she wasn't even surprised when she noticed who her visitor was. As much as she just wanted to be alone, she couldn't just let her stand outside in the corridor. And so she opened the door.

"Stella," she greeted her friend, instantly being greeted by a huge hug from the woman. During the last months, Stella and Lindsay had started to build up a rather close friendship. And she could already imagine why she was standing in front of her apartment door now.

"Hey Linds," Stella answered and entered the apartment. "I hope I don't disturb. Danny told me that you didn't feel well during the last time and he wanted me to have a look at you."

Lindsay couldn't help but chuckle when she heard that. What else had she expected?

"Do you want something? Something to drink or to eat?" she asked while leading Stella over to the couches.

"No, thank you," Stella answered, while the two sat down. After examining her younger friend for a moment, she added, "Wow, I know what Danny meant. You really don't look as if you were feeling good. What has happened?"

Lindsay sighed deeply. She couldn't deny that she was glad that she could talk to Stella now; this was much better than talking to a doctor.

"I don't know what's going on with me," she started. "Not just that my mood changes every few minutes and I scream at people for nothing or cry without any reasons. I don't feel well, I'm very sleepy and my stomach is driving me crazy. I really wonder what's going on with me."

She gave Stella a questioning look, a bit confused by the knowing smile she got as response.

"And you have no idea why you feel like this?" Stella asked.

"No."

"May I asked you something?" Stella continued. When Lindsay nodded, she asked, "When are you going to have your period?"

Lindsay stared at Stella for a moment. "Why?"

"Just answer."

"I'm not sure. Actually I haven't paid any attention to that in the last time."

"But you're on the pill, right? How can't you know then?"

When she heard Stella's last comment, Lindsay's eyes widened in shock. Her face went pale and she felt cold shivers running down her spine. No, no, this couldn't be true.

"Are you okay?" Stella asked a bit concerned.

Lindsay just stared at her friend for another minute until she was finally able to speak. "I…I just realized…after my last period, I…I totally forgot to go on with taking the pill."

Stella nodded, instantly understanding the shocked look in her friend's eyes. "How many day ago had this been?"

Lindsay couldn't help but blush at this. She still couldn't believe it. "I think, it has to be a month now." When she saw how Stella's eyes went wide as well, she blushed even more. "I had so much stress and…I totally forgot it. I don't know why, but the last month I had so much to do at work."

Now it was Stella who needed a moment until she could answer. "And the two of you…didn't use any other protection?"

Lindsay, who's face was coloured in a bright red now, shook her head. How could she forget something that important? And, even more interesting, how couldn't she notice it? She could feel how she started to shiver. Now she didn't have any doubts what was going on with her.

"Stella, what…what can I do now?" she asked, totally stunned.

She expected that her friend would tell her which mistakes she had made, but instead of that, Stella just gently took her hands in hers and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Linds," she answered. "You know what? I'll go to the pharmacist now and buy you a pregnancy test. And then we'll see. Is that okay to you?" When Lindsay nodded, she stood up. "Give me five minutes, I'll hurry."

Lindsay nodded again. When Stella had left the apartment, she sighed deeply, resting her face in her palms. She was pretty sure there was only one reason why she felt so strange during the last time. And she didn't need a pregnancy test to know that.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing!**

While Lindsay was waiting for Stella to come back, she remained sitting on the couch. She was incredibly nervous, her heart was racing and she was shivering. Was there any chance that she wasn't pregnant? She and Danny had had sex for an entire month without any protection. And according to how she was feeling, she was pretty sure that she had to be pregnant.

They were going to have a baby. Lindsay replayed this thought in her mind over and over again. The moment Stella had made her realize that had shocked her. Sure, they hadn't planned on having a child yet. They even hadn't talked about this topic.

But the longer she thought about it, the more Lindsay had to admit that actually she liked the thought of that. She was going to be a mother. Lindsay's hands instinctively rested on her flat stomach. Maybe there was growing her child now. Hers and Danny's. Their baby.

And after the first shock, she started to think about how it would be to have a baby with him. There were many facts that made her worry. Like the fact that they were together for not even ten months now. And they had never talked about having kids some time. And she had absolutely no idea what he was thinking about having children.

But there were also a lot of ideas about that she enjoyed. Lindsay had always wanted to have children some time. She had just needed the right man for that. And that Danny was the only man on earth she wanted to have children with was clear to her. How wonderful would it be to feel their child growing inside her? And now wonderful would it be to hold this child in her arms in a few months? They'd raise it together. They'd be parents. They'd be a family.

Lindsay couldn't help but smile when she imagined how it would be to live together with Danny and a child. Sure, their life would change completely, and it wouldn't become easier. They'd have a lot of stress, and combining being parents with their jobs would be difficult. A child also meant a lot of responsibility. They couldn't just do whatever they wanted, like they had done the whole time. They couldn't behave as spontaneous as they were used to. But was this important? Or, better said, was this bad?

Lindsay was surprised by how easy the answer was. No, it wasn't important and it wasn't bad. She had no problems with changing her life for them having a child. She'd even enjoy it. And, from how she knew Danny, she could be pretty sure that he'd also like this. She believed him when he told her that he loved her. And he'd also love their child. Maybe he'd have doubts at the beginning, but he'd be there, and she was sure that some day he'd look forward to becoming a father.

But suddenly the excited smile on Lindsay's face started to shrink again. All this sounded really nice. They could have all this- if she was really pregnant. But what if she wasn't? What if the pregnancy test would show her that she wasn't pregnant?

Lindsay couldn't deny that she suddenly started to feel a bit sad. What would she do if she wasn't pregnant? Now, after she had realized how much she wanted to have a child.

There was only one thing she could do then. Talking to Danny. It wouldn't be easy to make clear how much she wanted a child with him. Especially after such a short time. But as difficult as this talk would be, she swore to herself that she'd at least try it.

Lindsay was so deep in her thoughts that she almost jumped when the front door went open again.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I really hurried, but it was pretty full in the pharmacy," Stella apologized when she walked into the living room. "But at least I got what I wanted. I bought two pregnancy tests, just to be sure."

Lindsay just nodded. "Thank you," she said and grabbed the little box. Then she rushed into the bathroom. At this moment, she wasn't able to talk more. She was nervous. Now not because she was afraid to be pregnant. She was afraid because of being it not. And she had to find it out as fast as possible.

A few minutes later, the two women were sitting on the couch again, staring at the two pregnancy test lying on the coffee table. The display was pointed to the table- they only wanted to look at it when the waiting time had passed.

"How many minutes?" Lindsay asked Stella, who was reading the instructions.

"Five," Stella answered, looking up from the small paper. She watched Lindsay for a moment before she continued, "May I asked you something?"

"Sure."

"What exactly are we hoping for?"

Lindsay couldn't help but chuckle at this question. Somehow she had already waited for her friend to ask that. And after changing her opinion from shocked to unsure to excited, she knew what to answer.

"I think, it'd be nice to be a mother," she answered, laughing when she saw the bright smile appearing on Stella's face.

But before Stella could respond anything, the little alarm clock they had set onto the table, started to ring. They shared a short glance, Lindsay feeling her heart racing again. The suspense was almost unbearable.

"Ready?" Stella asked.

Lindsay nodded. And without waiting for another moment, Stella took both tests and turned them around to look at them.

"What is it?" Lindsay asked, needing her whole willpower to not just grab the two little sticks.

"Lindsay," Stella started. "You're pregnant."

The moment Lindsay heard Stella's answer, she had the feeling her heart stopped for a moment. She was pregnant?

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, really," Stella answered, smiling.

"Oh my god, that's…wow," Lindsay managed to say, instantly having tears rising in her eyes.

And before Stella could say anything, she throw herself into her friend's arms, embracing her tightly. Lindsay was laughing and crying, and both at the same time. She and Danny were going to have a baby. She didn't know when she had been so happy for the last time. They'd have a baby. This was so wonderful. Now she just had to go to him and to tell him about that.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! This is the last chapter of this story. Thank you so much for everyone who read and reviewed and who added this story to their favourites and alerts. I'm glad you liked it!**

The rest of the day Lindsay nervously waited for Danny to come home again. Stella had stayed at the apartment for around another hour until she had had to go to work. Now she was alone. She knew that in only a few more minutes, Danny would walk through the front door. And she'd tell him that she was pregnant.

They were going to have a baby. Lindsay still couldn't believe it. How much had she wished for having a child some day? She hadn't expected that it would happen so quick, but after the first shock, she was incredibly happy now.

Lindsay was sitting on one of the couches, holding the two pregnancy tests in her hands. She couldn't stop staring at them. How would Danny react to that? Would he be as happy as she was? Or would he be shocked? No matter what he'd do, Lindsay was sure that now she knew him good enough to know that he wouldn't leave her alone with their child and with the responsibility for it.

While staring at the two little sticks, she thought about how she could say it best. Should she just say 'I'm pregnant'? This would be the easiest way to say it. But also a bit boring.

And while thinking about that, she suddenly got an idea. A huge grin lit her face. She remembered how she had started to show him that she wanted more from him. She had teased him. And it had been fun. So why not teasing him again? Lindsay's grin grew even bigger. She already had an idea.

When Danny finally came home after work, Lindsay was already awaiting him. She was leaning against the couch, concentrating on her plan. She needed her entire skills as an actress now.

"Hey," Danny greeted her when he walked into the living room. "How are you, baby? Better?"

When she didn't answer, he looked up at her, his look instantly becoming concerned.

"Lindsay?" he asked in a serious tone. "What happened?"

Lindsay, who needed her whole willpower to say serious and concerned, shrugged lightly.

"I have to tell you something," she answered. "This morning I really didn't feel well again. Stella was here, and she…told me to make a pregnancy test. Just to be sure that it's not that."

Excited she watched him closely, waiting for his reaction. She saw his eyes widening when he realized what she had just said.

"And…did you do it?" he asked carefully.

Lindsay nodded. "Yes. But, well…it's just…"

"Hey, baby," Danny interrupted her. He walked over to her and gently took her hands in his. "Listen, Lindsay. No matter what you found out, it's okay, right? If…if you're really…pregnant, then…then we both have the responsibility for it. It's not your fault, okay? And…who knows, maybe it was supposed to happen. What I want to say with that is…don't be afraid, when you're pregnant, it's okay. I'll always be there for you." And with a tiny grin he added, "And actually it wouldn't be that bad…at least not for me."

Now it was Lindsay's turn to stare at her boyfriend with huge eyes. He had said what she had expected he'd say. But from his last sentence and from the look he was giving her, she could tell that he almost seemed to hope for her being pregnant.

This was exactly what she had hoped for. And so she again had to use her whole willpower to go on with her plan. With a shy smile she raised her hand which was holding the two pregnancy tests. Danny took them out of her hand and looked at them. He stared at the two tiny lines, a bit unsure.

"What do they say?" he asked.

"One line would just mean that the test is working," she answered, and from the change in his look she could tell that she didn't have to explain what two lines meant.

"Oh, wow," was all he managed to say.

Lindsay nodded, not even trying to fight back the rising tears. "We're going to have a baby."

Danny remained staring at the two sticks for another moment until he finally looked up at her, also tears in his eyes.

"What do you say?" Lindsay asked, wiping the first tears, rolling down her cheeks, away.

"It's fantastic," Danny answered.

It was one small sentence, but it was enough. Lindsay had exactly gotten the reaction she had so much hoped for. Danny was as happy about their baby as she was. And without wasting another moment, she threw herself into his arms, while he closed his arms around her tightly.

During the last months, a lot had changed between the two of them. What had started as a friendship had quickly changed into a strong and romantic relationship. And now they were going to have a baby. Sure, it wouldn't be easy for them, and they hadn't even planned on having a child yet. But they both agreed that they were incredibly happy about it. They were going to be a family, and this was just wonderful for them.


End file.
